1. Field of the Invention
This invention involves fishing equipment in general and, in particular, an arrangement for braking and locking a fishing line.
2. Background Art
Fisherman often face the problem of slowing or stopping the feeding out of fishing line. Quick and sure control of line feed makes-possible better placement of the lure, bait or fly, and it also helps prevent tangling of the line.
There are, accordingly, several known fishing line brakes, most of which involve some moving, often hinged or sliding, actuating tab that is connected by an intermediate linkage to a clamping device that is mounted on the rod at a distance from the actuating tab.
In many types of fishing reels, the line is wound about a spool whose central axis is generally parallel to the rod, which defines the initial direction of travel of the line as it is fed from the reel. As the line runs quickly off of the spool, it may tend to whip outward away from or into the rod. This not only increases the risk of tangling, but it also prevents the line from feeding smoothly and efficiently to and through the clamping device of a line brake.
The ability to lock the fishing line is also helpful, however, for fly-fisherman, who typically use reels in which the line is wound on a spool whose axis is mainly perpendicular to the rod. Often, fly-fisherman pull out more line than they need for a particular cast and let the excess lie on the ground. The ability to lock and quickly unlock the line then allows the fisherman to let out as much line as he wishes but to only cast and fish with the "unlocked" portion of the line. This also allows the fisherman to cast with only one hand, since he does not need to hold the excess line with his non-casting hand.
One shortcoming of many known fishing line brakes is that they do not allow the fishing line to run freely from the spool and through the guide rings of the rod even when no braking of the line is desired. This problem often arises because the brake deflects the line away from its normal direction Of free travel so that it can pass through the brake. In, other words, many known line brakes create friction on the line even when the brake is in the free-running position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,015 (Kvarnstrom, 4 May 1993) describes a line-braking arrangement that has an actuating tab or plunger that is connected by a linking rod or cable to a clamping device, which includes a clamping member and a separate clamping surface. In a non-blocking position, the fishing line runs freely through the clamping member. When the user presses the actuating member, the clamping member pivots down and locks the line by pressing it against the clamping surface. In order to control Whipping of the line as it runs off of the spool, intermediate rod rings are mounted on the rod between the freel and the clamping device. Although this known arrangement reduces or eliminates the problems of line whipping and friction-creating deflection, it is needlessly complicated in that it requires separated actuating members and clamping devices, a linking rod or cable between the actuator and clamp, and additional, separate, intermediate rod rings.
What is needed is a fishing line-locking arrangement that allows the line to run freely in the non-blocking position, that reduces line-whipping if the reel is such that it suffers from this problem, that securely locks the line in a blocking position, that is easy to manufacture and operate, and that can be mounted easily and quickly as a single unit on the fishing rod.